Dead locking tubular night latch



` F. E. BEST DEAD LOCKING TUBULAR NIGHT LATCH 2 Sheets- Sheet l FiledAug. 17, 1939 July 21, 17942.

lllflll July 2l, 1942.

F. E. BEST l DEAD LOCKING TUBULAR NIGHT LATCH v'Filed Aug. 17, lss

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 Y f2 3 3f @9 "E 5 1 SIM 4 "v/ Patented July 21, 1942omiso sTATEsFATENT OFFICE DEAD LOCKING TUBULAR NIGHT LATCH Frank EllisonBest, Indianapolis, Ind; Application August 17, 1939, Serial No. 290,592

6 Claims. (Cl. 292-172) My invention relates to improvements in tubularlocks and the objects of my invention are to first, provide a lock ofthe type known as a reversable dead locking night latch having a largebolt'l with a long throw in a small tube with little spindle action,also to provide a short backset and short overall length, the backsetbeing the distance from the face of the lock to the axis of the lockspindle.

Other objects are to provide a smoother acting mechanism and an easilyretractable latch of uniform tension `with a strong aligning means tocarry and hold securely in locked position the secondary mechanismscarried on the spindle such as knobs, etc.

Still other objects are to provide a neat smooth rugged appearance tothe assembled unit free from all unnecessary parts and imsy structures,and to provide a unit of modernistic appearance of great strength andpractical utility, and also to provide novel geared bolt retractionmeans as well as novel deadlocking means.

I accomplish these and other objects by means shown in the accompanyingdrawings in which Fig. 1 is a horizontal longitudinal section of thetubular night latch taken on line I I, Fig. 3, With certain portionsshown in relief above the plane of the section.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical View with the outer shell shown insection and parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1,parts being broken away.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, '7 and 8 are .transverse sections on lines 4 4, 5 5, 6 6,1 1 and 3 8 respectively of Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in Sectionon line 9 9 of Fig. 2.

Figs. 10 and 11 are fragmentary sections on lines iB l and Il l l,respectively of Fig. 2.

Fig. 12 is a detached perspective showing a dead locking spring.

Fig. 13 is a detached perspective showing a spring retainer.

Fig. 14 is a detached perspective showing a rack guide.

Similar characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Shell 35 with face plate 3|, held in place by `face plate retainer 32,constitutes the main houssecuring the tubular unit to a door by screws,not shown,

Face plate 3l and face plate retainer 32 are xedly secured together bycrimp-ing projection 48 of face plate 3l over indented portion 49 offace plate retainer 32.

Bolt 34 is impelled outward and held out by bolt spring 35 in tubularspring guide 36. Bolt spring 35 is backed up by tubular inner springguide 3l, the shouldered shank of which extends through base vportion offlat spring 38 and is riveted to spring retainer 39. Spring guides 35and 3l telescope one within the other.

When gear segment 45 is turned either right or left the teeth ll of saidgear segment will engage with teeth 6l and 'i2 of gear racks 4I andracks 4l, which are carried by and united by rack guide 42, will bedrawn back retractng spring stop 43, which is riveted to rack guide 42through hole 44, Figs. 1, 3, 13 and 14.

As spring stop 43 is retracted it retracts bolt 34 through the medium ofbolt pin 45 which is positioned back of spring stop 43 and extendstransversely through the bolt 34 in holes 45, see Figs. 1 and 5. Thisretraction compresses springs 35 and 4l.

When the door, housing the latch, is slammed shut .the bolt 34 firstengages the keeper and is forced back into the shell 33, compressing thebolt spring 35. The bolt then snaps outwardly into a latched position.The bolt 34, when forced into the shell 30 by action of the keeper,carries bolt pin 45 rigid with bolt 34 away from the spring stop 43,Fig. 1. This facilitates an easy acting bolt as outer spring 4l, springstop 43, rack 4I, rack guide 42 and gear 4i), together with the spindlemeans, not shown, but connected with the lock .through spindle hole 6lremain stationary as the door is closed. The gear segment 40 ispositioned between two discs 43 that are journaled in the narrower rearend portion of the shell 30. Pins rigidly secure discs 4S and gearsegment 4i) together. A rectangular knob shank opening 6I extendsthrough parts 49 and 50. 1

Recess 48 in bolt 34, Figs. 1, 6, 7 and 8, provides clearance forprojection 65 of spring stop 43 when said bolt 34 is forced back byengagement with a keeper or in any other way.

Pin 54, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, driven into holes 55 and 56 in tail guide 52and shell 30 respectively, se-

cures the tail cover assembly to the shell 33.

As the bolt 34 is forced back by a keeper it carries the dead lockingslide 5l with it by engagement of ledge 63 on bolt 34 and projection 68,Fig. 1, on dead locking slide 5l.

When the bolt 34 is opposite a keeper opening,

not shown, which matches the shape of bolt 34, it snaps into saidopening leaving the dead locking slide 5l in a retracted position andpressing against the face of the keeper.

In this position the cam 58 on the dead locking slide 5l has moved backletting the at spring 38 snap against the surface 53 on the bolt 34,Figs. 2 and 10 then when the bolt 34 is forced back by any externalmeans it can only recede until the catch 68 on bolt 34 engages the end63 of flat spring 38 stopping the bolt 34 from receding further.

Thus, when the bolt 34 is in the keeper and the dead locking slide 51 isheld back by the iace of the keeper, the bolt 34 is deadlocked. Torelease this, the spindle (not shown) operating in spindle hole 6l isturned; turning gear 43 and thereby engaging one or the other of theracks. 4|, retracting said racks and thereby retracting rack guide 42,Fig. 3, which in turn retracts bolt pin 45, by its engagement withspring stop 43, and bolt 34 which is rigidly connected with said boltpin 45.

As guide cam 62 on rack guide 42, Figs. 2 and ll, is retracted it liftsnat spring 38 out of engagement with bolt 34 and clear of shoulder 68allowing bolt 34 to be retracted without interference. When the bolt 34is retracted by turning gear member 478 it carries slide 5l with it andcompresses bolt spring 35, outer spring 4l! and slide spring 63. Outerspring 41 always returns the retracting means to an initial position.

Spring guide pin 64, Fig, 1, riveted through flat spring 38 and intospring retainer 39 at '10, supports iiat spring 3 3 and keeps it inproper alignment.

Teeth 6l on racks 4| are longer than the adjoining teeth 12 of saidracks so that the rack 4I can be in an extreme forward position andstill be in mesh with gear 48. make possible a short overall length,

With the spring 4l holding the racks 4l forward the gear 48 is helddefinitely positioned by its end teeth 1I in Contact with teeth 81 ofboth racks 4|. This makes possible instant bolt reaction to any spindlemovement, it also helps to make possible a long throw of bolt. 3.4 byavoiding lost motion.

With the racks 4I thus so far removed from the tail cover in the latchedposition a short.

overall length of the unit is achieved.

Operation This dead locking tubular night latch is quickly and easilyinstalled in holes bored in a door thussaving much time over anyinstallation that requires mortising. 'This night latch may be operatedby various forms of turn knobs and primary locks connected with gearmember 40.

When a door in which this night latch is installed is open the severalparts of the latch will occupy the positions shown in the drawings. Whenthe door is moved into a closed p0- sition the bolt 34 will be movedinwardly by engagement with a keeper and will carry the dead lockingslide 51 inwardly with it but the end ofA the flat spring 38 will beheld clear of the bolt 34 by the cam 58 until after the shoulder 68 haspassed the end of said flat spring 38. It is to be noted that the outerend portion of the flat spring 38 is oiset transversely so that the cam.58 holds said end portion of said flat spring clear of the shoulder 68on the bolt 34 except when the dead locking slide 551 is retractedNrelative to the bolt 34.

This helps to When the bolt 34 and dead locking slide 51 are pushedinwardly by engagement with a keeper the springs 35 and 63 will becompressed but the spring 41 will not be compressed. This avoidsoperating against excessive spring pressure and provides a bolt that iseasily retracted by the closing of the door and is smooth in operation.

When the bolt 34 snaps outwardly into a keeper, as the door is closed,the dead locking slide 51 will abut against the keeper and will be heldin retracted position by the keeper. This will cause the cam 58 torelease the flat spring 38 and permit said flat spring 38 to engage withthe surface 59. of the bolt. If an attempt is made to force the bolt 34rearwardly when the flat spring 38 is resting against the surface 59thereof,. the shoulder 68, Fig. 10, will strike against the end of saidflat spring and retractile movement of the bolt will be blocked. Thisprevents unauthorized retracting of. the bolt by inserting a flatinstrument. between a door and' a. door frame and pressing. saidflatinstrument against. the inclinedv face of the bolt 34.

Some retractile movement of the. bolt 34. from.

its outermost position to the position in which. the shoulder 68 engageswith the end of. flat spring 38 is provided for. This movement is not.

enough to clear the bolt from the keeper. but it.

i segment 48.

It will be noted. that, the. end portion of. the tubular spring guide 36extendsV well into. the bolt 34. This spring guide is preferably formed.of hardened steel which serves as an armor means embedded within theLbolt and makes. itI

very difficult to saw through the bolt..

The foregoing description and. accompanying drawings thus, disclose adesirable adaptation of my invention but it is. anticipated that many Ichanges will be resorted to within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described' my invention, what IA claim as new and desire to.secure by Letters. Patent of the United States ofv America is:

l. A device of the class. describedY comprising a bolt, two spaced apartparallel gear rack mem-r bers connected with saidbolt with their teethdirected toward each other, two longer teeth at the ends of therespective gear rack members, spring means urging said bolt and saidgear rack members in one direction, and a` pivotally mounted throwmember having a segment of gear teeth positioned between said rackmembers, said longer rack teeth engaging the end teeth of said segmentwhen the bolt is extended and said segment teeth meshing with the otherteeth of one of said gear rack members and retracting saidY bolt againstthe pressurel ofI said spring means when it is angularly moved in leither direction.

1 with opposed gear teeth and having their inner end portions guided insaid narrower portion of said housing, the gear teeth at the ends ofsaid gear rack members being longer than the remaining gear teeth tomaintain maximum engagement with the segment teeth and provide for areduction in the overall length of the lock, spring means urging saidbolt outwardly, said gear rack members and said bolt being movableinwardly by oscillation of said gear segment in either direction.

3. A device of the class described comprising a housing, a reciprocablebolt in said housing, a reciprocable dead locking slide positionedalongside of said bolt movable by said bolt into a retracted positionand adapted to be retained by engagement with a keeper in said retractedposition when said bolt moves outwardly, bolt retracting means connectedwith said bolt, said bolt being freely movable in an inward directionwithout moving said bolt retracting means, spindle actuated meansoperating said bolt retracting means, telescopic tube means in thehousing connected with the bolt, a spring supported in said telescopictube means yieldingly urging said bolt into outwardly projectedposition, another spring supported on said telescopic tube meansyieldingly urging said bolt retracting means in the direction of saidbolt, and a third spring yieldingly urging said dead locking slideoutwardly.

4. A device of the class described comprising a tubular housing, a boltreciprocable in said housing, bolt retracting means, devices connectingsaid bolt with said bolt retracting means leaving said bolt freelymovable inwardly in said housing Without moving said bolt retractingmeans, telescopic tube means in the housing connected with the bolt, acompression spring supported in said telescopic tube means urging saidbolt into outwardly projected position, and another compression springsupported on said telescopic tube means urging said bolt retractingmeans in the direction of said bolt.

5. A device of the class described comprising a tubular housing, a boltreciprocable in said housing, telescopic tube means in said housingconnected with said bolt, a compression spring in said telescopic tubemeans, a rack guide movable in said housing and slidably receiving theinner end portion of said bolt, means limiting outward movement of saidbolt relative to said rack guide, a spring stop extending around saidtelescopic tube means and connected with said rack guide, a compressionspring on said telescopic tube means engaging said spring stop, gearrack members connected with said rack guide and extending rearwardly insaid housing, and a throw member having a gear segment positioned toengage with said gear rack members to retract said rack bars and saidbolt.

6. A device of the class described comprising a housing, a bolt operablein said housing and protruding therefrom when in locking position, atubular guide member of hard material extending into said bolt, boltactuating means in said guide member extending into the portion of saidbolt that protrudes from said housing when the bolt is in lockingposition, said tubular guide member constituting armor means forresisting cutting of said bolt and preventing damage to the boltactuating means Within the guide member.

FRANK ELLISO-N BEST.

